Tajik president suggests Central Asian, Gulf countries create special investment fundTajik President Emomali Rahmon suggested creating a specialized fund for investment and development support in his speech at the first summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asian countries in Jeddah."We support the initiative to establish strategic dialogue within the Central Asia - Gulf format. We are ready to strengthen mutually profitable cooperation in various sectors of the economy, trade, investment, culture, and on other tracks that present mutual interest to the parties, including under the Joint Plan of Actions for 2023-2027. We are convinced it will create a favorable foundation for the implementation of specific projects," Rahmon said.He said he believes it is important to use for these purposes the potential of the financial institutions of the Arab Gulf countries, including the development funds of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and also King Salman's Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, the Sheikh Zayed Fund, and the Islamic Development Bank Group."In this context, we are interested in drawing the investment opportunities of the Gulf countries to the Tajik economy. In this regard, I suggest creating in the Central Asia - Gulf format a specialized fund for investment and development support. With regard to the current global changes, I would like to again emphasize the importance of creating in the Islamic Cooperation Organization of a specialized fund of investment and development for financial support to developing Islamic countries," the Tajik president said.The priority tracks in the implementation of investment projects embrace the energy, and industry, including consumer, food, mining, and also agriculture, banking, tourism, digitalization of the economy, information-communication, and transit-transport capabilities of the parties."Having a big hydropower potential, Tajikistan is looking to comprehensively develop the green energy sector by building hydropower plants in the interests of the entire region. We hope that the Arab Gulf countries and their financial institutions will make their investment contribution to the implementation of our hydropower projects," Rahmon said.The creation of joint enterprises processing environmentally friendly agricultural products for subsequent export to the markets of the Gulf countries can also become a promising area of mutual cooperation, the Tajik president said.Rahmon also said Tajikistan is giving special attention to the implementation of regional trade-economic and transport-communication projects, noting that he believes it is important to draw the capabilities of the Arab Gulf countries to the construction of motorways and railways with access to sea ports.He also said the unilateral visa-free regime imposed for citizens of the Gulf countries by the Tajik side in 2022 can help promote effective measures to expand cooperation in the sphere of tourism.In the sphere of education and science, it would be reasonable to establish connections between higher education establishments in Central Asia and the Gulf countries to exchange experience, conduct scientific research, and implement professional training programs, especially in the sphere of exact sciences. The countries' relevant agencies need to jointly establish effective mechanisms to develop cooperation in the sphere of healthcare. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX